


Enduring

by Museical



Series: Strong [1]
Category: Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: 4x100 Relay, Gen, Goldenlake Decathalon, Spoilers: MASTIFF, Warning: Off-screen character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-11
Updated: 2013-01-11
Packaged: 2017-11-25 02:57:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/634389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Museical/pseuds/Museical
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Individual AU settings; what if MASTIFF had gone a few different directions instead of canon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Enduring

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Goldenlake's Decathalon Challenge 2012  
> Character: Gareth of Conte  
> Event: 4x100 Relay: 4 drabbles

  
i.  
  
  
“I’m cold, Beka,” Gareth tells her.  
  
His pigeon ruffles its feathers. Gareth’s plaintive tone of voice cuts, but there’s nothing she can do.  
  
His pigeon cocks its head, staring straight at Beka. “I want to see my mama!”  
  
The words 'you’re dead' stick in Beka’s throat; she works for a moment to speak again.  
  
“I’m so sorry, Gareth.”  
  
She imagines the look her little old man would be giving her.  
  
Her heart breaks.  
  
“Come on, Beka!”  
  
The flutter of wings stirs the air, and Gareth’s pigeon takes flight. Beka sighs and looks around Corus one last time before she follows.  
  
  
  
ii.  
  
  
Beka breathes a sigh of relief when they come up on a company of soldiers bearing the Royal crest. In the center, a carriage stands waiting.  
  
King Roger steps out, slowly, as though he’d aged years since Beka had last laid eyes on him; Gareth squirms in the saddle until he is lifted down to run to his father.  
  
The king falls to his knees heavily and embraces his son, but the near-silent reception jangles in Beka’s ears.  
  
“Papa, where’s Mama?” Gareth asks, words muffled against the king’s shoulder.  
  
Roger only makes a strangled noise and clutches his son tighter.  
  
  
  
iii.  
  
  
Gareth only realizes something is very, very wrong when he feels Beka’s strong hands grab him and pull him flush against her.  
  
He’s never seen eyes as cold as hers at that moment. He shivers.  
  
“Give me the boy, darling,” Farmer beckons, tugging at the ribbons curled in his pockets. Gareth shrinks back against Beka’s knees.  
  
Mattes, creeping behind the mage, tackles the man before the ribbons come free.  
  
“I trusted you.”  
  
But Beka doesn’t cry, Gareth notices.  
  
It will take years before Gareth realizes that the tone of Beka’s voice that day was the sound of a heart breaking.  
  
  
  
iiii.  
  
  
It’s hot, too hot to bear when he wakes up in the mornings after dreaming of cool nights and forests.  
  
Sand gets in everything, but sand is everywhere and people look at Gareth oddly when he complains.  
  
This is the way it’s always been. Stop complaining.  
  
So Gareth puts his head down and drags bucket after bucket of water to acres of arid earth, and when years pass and Carthak learns that a northern princess is married now Gareth doesn’t understand why certain words sound familiar.  
  
Tortall. Conte.  
  
They’re just words.  
  
This is the way it’s always been.  
  
Stop complaining.  


**Author's Note:**

> i. Mattes succeeds.  
> ii. Jessamine dies of grief before they recover Gareth.  
> iii. Farmer is the traitor.  
> iiii. Gareth is never found.


End file.
